29er Ovington Inland Championship at Grafham

by Keith Escritt on 7 Nov 2008 With nearly forty 29ers, the 2008 Ovington inlands was keenly contested with the varied conditions producing clear and worthy winners. Tom Durham and Rupert Jones Warner from Emsworth Slipper SC were comfortable winners, with Adam Larvin and John Welton, Beaver SC in second place.

The forecast for Saturday of 15 kts turned out to be ‘half’ right – almost literally as the gusts racked up to nearly 30kts by the end of the second race.

Winner of race one (at least on the water) was Henry Lloyd Williams / Sam Batten with Nick Redding / Adam Hilton in hot pursuit. However virtually all the fleet had misread the SIs and done a lap less than needed.

Four boats had done the extra lap and the situation was settled reasonably amicably in the protest room by awarding two first places two seconds and so on – so at least no-one lost out. That promoted Tom Durham /Rupert Jones Warner to first - a position they didn’t let go of all day.

Race two and everyone did the right number of laps, with Durham winning, Chris Matthews/ Ed Gibbons made a huge improvement from a first race 18th to come in second with Tristan Jaques / Tom Morris third and consistent Adam Larvin / John Welton fourth

The wind racked up a bit between races resulting in a few casualties but none more entertaining than Adam Larvins excellent full end over end pitchpole. (He claims he stayed dry – yer sure Adam!!)

The conditions obviously suited the top three as they repeated the same 1,2,3 in the third race, with Walker / Mather cracking another good result in 4th .

A tough day on the water had been dominated by the lads with Durham leading from Larvin and Mather, the first girl in 10th was Siobhan Escritt crewing for her Dad, and four places further back were Lilly Carlisle / Becky Wallbank, who were under pressure from Anne Noble / Katy Stewardson.

Sunday was a different game! The light winds – barely trapezing except for the real lightweights proved a real test of quite different skills.

Alex Horlock / Timothy Walton won the start, and sailed away to win the race despite strong pressure from Lilly Carlisle / Becky Wallbank with Keith and Siobhan Escritt third. Durham wasn’t to be shaken though and managed a good fourth but Mather and Larvin kept the pressure on with a 5th and 6th.

Keith and Siobhan Escritt worked the shifts best in race 5 and led from the first mark to the finish from Nick Redding / Adam Hilton who were adding to their string of mostly top 6 results. Durham /Jones Warner crossed third to virtually guarantee overall victory, and Anne Noble / Katy Stewardson got fourth to put some pressure on Carlisle/Wallbank for first ladies spot.

Henry Lloyd Williams / Sam Batten had ‘gone missing a bit after their first race win, but they finished the weekend as they’d started – with a bullet. Tristan Jaques / Tom Morris just rolled Noble / Stewardson on the last hitch leg for second, with the Escritts fourth, and Lilly Carlisle / Becky Wallbank ensuring they won the first Ladies overall title with a fighting fifth.

Overall, Tom Durham /Rupert Jones Warner (Emsworth Slipper) won comfortably – discarding a 7th, with Adam Larvin / John Welton (Beaver) counting a string of top six results in second. Keith Escritt / Siobhan Escritt (Yorkshire Dales) were third but only on countback from Nick Redding / Adam Hilton (Oxford).

Nick Redding / Adam Hilton (Draycote) and Henry Lloyd Williams / Sam Batten rounded off the top six.

Top ladies were Lilly Carlisle / Becky Wallbank (Draycote) with Anne Noble / Katy Stewardson (Ullswater) just behind.

29er Inlands - Final overall

1 GBR1235 Tom DURHAM Rupert JONES-WARNER Emsworth Slipper/Emsworth Slipper RDG1 1 1 4 3 7 10
2 GBR1322 Adam LARVIN John WHELTON Beaver SC/Beaver SC RDG2 4 5 6 5 14 22
3 GBR661 Keith ESCRITT Siobhan ESCRITT Yorkshire Dales SC/Yorkshire Dales SC RDG3 18 16 3 1 4 27
4 GBR1115 Nick REDDING Adam HILTON Oxford/Oxford 6 5 6 8 2 13 27
5 GBR703 Phil WALKER John MATHER Draycote Water/Draycote Water 2 8 4 5 9 12 28
6 GBR1248 Henry LLOYD WILLIAMS Sam BATTEN Lymington/Lymington 1 7 13 15 8 1 30
7 GBR736 Tristan JACQUES Tom MORRIS Nantwich/Nantwich 11 3 3 13 19 2 32
8 GBR1157 James BRIGGS George HAND Draycote Water/Draycote Water 4 9 7 12 7 10 37
9 GBR1244 Lilly CARLISLE Becky WALLBANK Draycote/Draycote 25 14 11 2 6 5 38
10 GBR1233 James BOLINGBROKE Matt HEATHCOTE Dabchicks S C/Dabchicks S C 5 6 10 22 21 9 51
11 GBR136 Alex HORLOCK Timothy WALTON EXE/EXE DNF40 17 9 1 17 11 55
12 GBR1288 Anne NOBLE Katy STEWARDSON Ullswater YC/Ullswater YC 14 OCS40 18 20 4 3 59
13 GBR620 Chris MATTHEWS Ed GIBBONS Brightlingsea S CUB/Brightlingsea S CUB 18 2 2 19 22 RAF40 63
14 GBR1112 Sam WATSON Henry COLLINSON Nantwich SC/Nantwich SC 27 21 22 7 10 6 66
15 GBR1275 Adam KITCHEN Jeremy WILLIAMSON Chichester YC/Chichester YC 16 13 12 16 31 21 78
16 GBR1153 Hannah BRIGGS (ROB THOMAS) Emma PEARSON Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC 23 12 15 11 23 19 80
17 GBR1241 Arthur ROMANO Ed ROMANO Burghfield / Lymington/Burghfield / Lymington 12 10 BFD40 10 25 27 84
18 GBR554 Giles LLOYD WILLIAMS Fiona RAMUS Lymington/Lymington 17 20 20 23 11 20 88
19 GBR1278 Alex MOTHERSELE Hamish ELLIS Emsworth/Emsworth 8 16 26 24 20 24 92
20 GBR342 Aaron SMITH Alec RODGERS Wilsonian SC/Wilsonian SC 28 19 8 30 34 8 93
21 GBR1026 Emily JACKSON Harriet MORRIS Elton SC/Elton SC 21 24 27 17 12 23 97
22 GBR1221 Anna BROOKS Julia BOWDEN Elton SC/Elton SC 13 32 21 18 15 31 98
23 GBR394 Neil PAYNE Simon TAYLOR Draycote/Draycote 9 11 DNF40 RAF40 14 25 99
24 GBR1285 Jean FURNESS Jillian DARLING Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC 15 26 24 29 18 16 99
25 GBR914 Matthew GOACHER Matthew THOMAS Lancing SC/Lancing SC RDG4 23 17 34 37 28 106
26 GBR1385 Grace FELL Honor FELL Beadnell/Beadnell 29 27 25 25 13 22 112
27 GBR1113 Austen SCULLY Tom BRUTON Whitstable YC/Whitstable YC OCS40 15 23 21 26 34 119
28 GBR396 Thomas LAMBERT Nicola SMITH Wilsonian SC/Wilsonian SC 19 22 19 33 33 26 119
29 GBR1220 Alex POYNER Jess DERBYSHIRE Emsworth/Emsworth DNF40 DNF40 DNF40 9 16 15 120
30 GBR1240 Michael MATTHEWS Tom STEAVENSON Sunderland YC/Sunderland YC 26 25 14 28 32 29 122
31 GBR693 Sarah BURGESS Helen BURGESS Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC DNF40 30 DNF40 14 27 17 128
32 GBR1330 Tom FORRESTER-COLES Hannah PETERS Holyhead/Holyhead 20 OCS40 DNF40 27 29 18 134
33 GBR472 Ed JONES Matt CRUZ Carsington/Carsington 22 31 DNF40 26 28 30 137
34 GBR843 Alexander LEGASSICK Edaward LE GASSICK Wilsonians SC/Wilsonians SC DNF40 29 DNF40 32 30 32 163
35 GBR544 Jason SIVYER Charlie ESSE Royal Lymington/Royal Lymington DNF40 DNF40 DNF40 31 24 33 168
36 GBR1276 Tommy D'ORTEZ Conor KEOHANE Tenby SC/Tenby SC 31 28 BFD40 35 39 36 169
37 GBR1122 Philippa GRAY Hannah THOMAS Oxford/Oxford 30 DNF40 DNF40 37 38 38 183
38 GBR311 Joan FURNESS Hannah LENNOX Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC DNF40 DNF40 DNF40 38 35 35 188
39 GBR704 Martin LOWN Harry COULSON Wilsonian SC/Wilsonian SC DNF40 OCS40 DNF40 36 36 37 189